I am seven months postpartum with my third child and I haven’t exercised in more than a year. I have thought about starting a new exercise regimen many times since being cleared by my OBGYN, but I haven’t taken the plunge. Time constraints and a low energy level were my two biggest excuses, but I also I have a full-time job and three kids so time is short. And with a new baby who needs a lot from me, I’m just plain worn out! But there will always be excuses, am I right? It’s time to make an effort.

I know there are so many options out there to choose from when you decide to get in shape. So many, in fact, that it can become a little overwhelming. That’s why I decided to create a list of what I wanted in a workout and decide what to try based on my current needs.

The ideal work out for me has these points:

Can be done in the comfort of my own home

Can be done in thirty minutes or less

Free or reasonably priced

Low impact since I am out of shape/have neck and back problems

Proven results

Luckily, I was able to find a few exercise videos that are free (for me) since I am an Amazon Prime subscriber. But all three of these choices are available to anyone on Amazon for a small price.

1. Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout

The first one I tried was Ballet Beautiful Total Body Workout. I have been following the creator of this workout on Instagram and she is absolutely stunning and inspirational! I’ve wanted to try this for a while especially since I did ballet for so long when I was younger and I miss it.

I read reviews before doing this the first time and I was a bit nervous. They all kept talking about your muscles “burning.” Well, they weren’t joking! I definitely felt the burn and had to take breathers multiple times throughout. If you do the entire workout it is an hour long but I didn’t last that long the first time because OUCH! I told you I was out of shape. The best thing about it is there are six different segments and you can do one, two or all! I like this because it is rare that I have a whole hour to exercise. Ladies, I’m sure you can relate! It’s super easy for me to pick which part of my body I want to focus on (arms, abs, legs) and go for it. You will spend the bulk of your time on a mat on the floor, which I didn’t mind at all. It just surprised me. I know that if I kept doing this three to four times a week for at least a month there would definitely be a difference in the way I look and feel.

2. Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown

The next one I tried was Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown. I have faith in her because I have done her 30-day shred before with great results. But as I’m starting out I don’t want to do high impact exercise just yet. Plus I have always wanted to be skilled at yoga. The first time I did this I didn’t know what to expect because JM can be pretty tough on you! Honestly I was a bit disappointed in this one. I didn’t read the reviews first and as it turns out it’s not a great place to start with yoga. I wanted a more traditional yoga but the moves are unconventional. Yoga pros probably wouldn’t approve! I do think I burned a lot of calories doing this. But it wasn’t my favorite. It would be better if I had been doing yoga for awhile and wanted to change things up with my movements.

3. Element: Barre Conditioning

The last one I tried was Element: Barre Conditioning. Once again I have been following Sadie Lincoln, the founder of Barre3 on Instagram and have been impressed with the results of people who do this workout. It’s a cross between ballet, yoga and pilates. I have a friend who has been doing Barre classes and she is in spectacular shape with those long, lean muscles I am craving. It is split into two segments, which is great in a time crunch. It’s a little over an hour all together but you can pick which one you want to do that day. There is Burn and Firm and then Lengthen and Strengthen. I did both and had to take a lot of breaks. This was expected since I’m just starting out. I know if I continued to do this one it would get easier each time as my muscles get stronger. And boy, would they get stronger! I felt the burn on this one too.

After trying all three I believe I will stick with Ballet Beautiful for at least a month and hope for the best.

What about you? Would you try any of these? What is your favorite at-home workout?

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Molly Shalz is a thirty-something mom to two handsome boys and one darling girl. She began her personal blog in 2006 when she realized how much she missed writing. Over the years she has gained a loyal following. She was a nominee in The Bump's Best Working Mom Blogs of 2009. Her writing earned her a coveted BlogHer Voice of the Year award in 2011. She was also a cast member in the inaugural Kansas City Listen to Your Mother show in 2013. She continues to build her blog presence by writing passionately about her journey through motherhood. Molly works full-time as a brand manager, blogging and managing social media for a large organization.